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Year: 2018

Can you believe it’s already August? How quickly has summer passed! Now it’s also the time to get ready for school soon again. Are you ready for the new school year? More importantly, is your kid ready yet?

We’ve to admit we are a bit late posting this today (yes, even we have only so many hours to make everything happen). But tada, here’s your checklist to start the new school year without tears and in a stress-free manner.

6 surprising benefits when you declutter

You’ve probably heard about Barbara Hemphill, the paper tiger lady, mentioning SYSTEM. It’s a slogan she picked up early in her organising career and it stands for “Saving you space, time, energy, money.” That’s right, that’s what professional organisers like her and us at Organised Life and Mind do. However, some folks are still sceptical about the true benefits of getting organised. So we’ve asked the ones who’ve already started their journey of decluttering and getting more organised. “What were your biggest surprising benefits, positive or negative, when you decluttered?”

We are ready for some celebrations!

What’s your favourite month? We love August! It’s the month for sunflowers, going on holidays, relaxing days on the beach, school’s still out, good times. And it’s my birthday! For us, that’s a reason to celebrate.

We’re not the only ones celebrating

One of our corporate clients is having a special birthday this month: The big 40! For him, it’s a bit of a bitter sweet birthday, yet, plenty of celebrations! He associates his thirties with fun, adventure and growth. Listening to his fabulous stories over a cup of coffee and it’s like he’s taking you into another world!

This birthday, he’s decided to go all out. He’s invited family and friends to a rented holiday home where he’ll get the caterers to bring out delicious foods. You can probably his excitement about his party. It’s not only a party. It’s spending time with his loved ones and treating them to something special.

Take some time to review the last year

Birthdays, or anniversaries for that matter, are a great time to reflect on the last year. If you are like me, life can be busy and we may not always recognise our progress and achievements. Special dates can give us that time to take stock. We can also give ourselves that pad on the back. Whether we’ve finally completed that qualification by long-distance learning, started working again after taking a longer break or jumped on the treadmill for the first time, acknowledge your progress. Maybe you even want to include it into your celebrations?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

What were my proudest moments last year? And how do I define proud?

What were the three biggest challenges I faced? How did I overcome them? What did l learn from them?

For what or whom was I grateful last year?

Who or what has influenced and impact me this last year?

What did I learn about myself (my family, friends, work, hobbies, etc.) that surprised me?

How have I changed as a person over the last year?

Have my actions last year brought me closer to achieving my goals? Have they been in sync with my values?

Create a year with meaning

Just as you look back, you can set your intentions for the next year. Intentions give you more purpose and are thought to be more effective then just goals alone. By giving your year ahead more aim, you can live a (more) fulfilled life.

Here are some questions that can help you prepare for the next year:

What are my top three goals for the next year?

What do I want to learn this year? How will I learn it (e.g. take a class, attend webinars, get a coach)?

What do I want to give to my family, friends, work, hobbies and community (local and larger)?

How will I look after myself? Physically, mentally?

What pressure do I want to remove?

What a word or phrase will I choose as your motto or mantra for the year ahead?

How will my future year look like? Create a collage if you are a creative person or prefer this over expression yourself with words.

And then there are gifts

As with other celebrations, we seem to get so many presents. A few years ago, we’ve decided in our home to limit the amount spent on Christmas gifts. It’s EUR 30 (USD 35, AED 128). For some, this is a lot while many folks seem to spend more. We choose this to focus more on something meaningful without going into debt.

As for my birthday, there won’t be any gifts. I won’t, however, say no to birthdays. They give you an opportunity to write a personal message and wishes for the birthday kid. When was the last time you actually wrote something with a pen?

Still going for an experience

Don’t run to the shops and buy a crappy last minute present. You can carefully check with the birthday child if they even want a present. The trend for experiences continues. And if you live in a transient place like we do, you never know when people move. Who wants to relocate all their junk? Nobody we know wants this. Here are some ideas for experiences:

Donations are also high up there. For folks like us who have everything we need, let’s give something back. Whether it’s a donation to the Irish Cancer Society, a feline friends chapter or the local library, there are so many worthy causes out there.

We are getting ready for August and all the celebrations. What are you getting ready for?

Why is decluttering books so hard?

Decluttering books is for many a difficult topic. I’m one of them! The appreciation for the printed word, the story that they tell, the knowledge on all these pages… how can books be decluttered? Many simply ignore this area in their life and are brought down by their often large collection of books. Today, we’re sharing our tips to let go of your books.

Living a healthier life

A healthier you? Of course, you want this! After all, how often have you told yourself: “Today/this week/this month/this year, I will eat more vegetables, work out more often, look after myself.” And how often did you fall into your old habits? We encourage you to make small changes and become the healthier version of yourself.

Before you start, ask yourself how a healthier you looks like. By picturing and defining the future version of you,